15 Sep 2025

Iowa Awakening: “The Bridges of Madison County,” at the Timber Lake Playhouse through September 21

By Mischa and Kitty Hooker

Mischa: Kristin Wetherington absolutely delivered. From start to finish, she commanded the audience’s attention, with carefree positivity at first, then convincing anguish as the story reached its emotional climax.

Kitty: I was also really impressed by her ability to maintain a consistent, believable Italian accent throughout, both in her speaking and her singing.

15 Sep 2025

We Are Always Dependent on the Kindness of Strangers: “Come from Away,” at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse through November 1

By Pamela Briggs

Remembering the devastating losses and world-changing terror of 9/11 doesn't usually inspire joy, or instill hope. But there's a musical about it that does both, focusing on how the destruction in New York City and Washington D.C. affected a little island roughly 1,500 miles northeast.

25 Aug 2025

Stuck in the Muddle With Glue: “Glü,” at the Timber Lake Playhouse through August 31

By Alexander Richardson

The Timber Lake Playhouse tries something new with its world-premiere musical Glü. Directed by Tommy Ranieri, and with a book and lyrics by Jake Lockwood and music and lyrics by Alexander Sage Oyen, this heartwarming tale gives audiences a chance to see something local, and possibly even familiar.

18 Aug 2025

Tonal Recall: “Marjorie Prime,” at the Richmond Hill Barn Theatre through August 24

By Pamela Briggs

Jordan Harrison's Marjorie Prime script is both dramatic and funny, and Jennifer Kingry's cast of four excels at being both.

11 Aug 2025

Lifetime’s Original Dance Mom: Quad City Music Guild's “Gypsy,” at the Prospect Park Auditorium through August 17

By Alexander Richardson

Quad City Music Guild’s summer season winds down with one of the big American musicals: Gypsy, directed here by Troy Stark, and featuring a score by Jule Styne, book by Arthur Laurents, and lyrics by an early-career Stephen Sondheim. And while there were a few rough spots during Friday’s opening-night performance, there’s still plenty to enjoy and Guild does a fine job of putting this classic piece on its feet.

11 Aug 2025

Mayhem on the Disoriented Express: “The Play That Goes Wrong,” at the Spotlight Theatre through August 17

By Mischa and Kitty Hooker

K: Dolly Parton famously said, “It takes a lot of money to look this cheap.” Likewise, it takes many hours of rehearsal to make a show look humorously under-rehearsed.

M: Ironically, it’s necessary to play a bad actor well.

11 Aug 2025

New York States of Mind: “Ordinary Days,” at the Black Box Theatre through August 17

By Pamela Briggs

Director Shelley Cooper, Augustana College's associate professor of theatre arts, and music director and accompanist Rob Elfline, professor of music at Augustana, have engineered another extraordinary production with Ordinary Days.

04 Aug 2025

Nice Ice, Baby!: “Disney's Frozen,” at the Timber Lake Playhouse through August 17

By Madeline Dudziak

Let it be known: My family and I are exactly the intended audience for the Timber Lake Playhouse’s current production of Disney's Frozen. We love the material. We love theatre. So in the words of everyone’s favorite animated snowman Olaf, “Put ‘em together, it just makes sense.” The good news? If you’re also a fan, chances are you’ll feel the same way about this particular production.

04 Aug 2025

And Then They Came for Her: “The Diary of Anne Frank,” at the Playcrafters Barn Theatre through August 10

By Pamela Briggs

The horrifying story told in The Diary of Anne Frank is now being lovingly presented at Moline's Playcrafters Barn Theatre, directed by accomplished actor Elle Winchester.

04 Aug 2025

Mississippi River High: “Almost Heaven: The Songs of John Denver,” at the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre through August 10

By Alexander Richardson

The Clinton Area Showboat Theatre closes out its 2025 season with a gorgeously sung tribute in director Amy Fritsche's Almost Heaven: The Songs of John Denver. What this revue by Harold Thau (who's credited for its “original concept”) is lacking in heart is more than made up by the live music played by the onstage actors, all of whom make Denver’s music ring.

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